Meta-analyses confirm a negative relationship between aggressive behavior and empathy, that is, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Based on theoretical considerations, it was, therefore, hypothesized that a lack of empathic responsiveness may be characteristic for cyberbullies in particular. In the present study, 2.070 students of Luxembourg secondary schools completed an online survey that included a cyberbullying questionnaire4 and a novel empathy short scale. According to the main hypothesis, analyses of variances indicated that cyberbullies demonstrated less empathic responsiveness than non-cyberbullies. In addition, cy-berbullies were also more afraid of becoming victims of cyberbullying. The findings confirm and substantially extend the research on the relationship between empathy and aggressive behavior. From an educational point of view, the present findings suggest that training of empathy skills might be an important tool to decrease cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying often takes place with the virtual presence or knowledge of bystanders. While we have some evidence about the determinants of bystanders' responses to offline bullying, we lack empirical studies concerning the variables that influence bystanders' responses to cyberbullying. The current study examines bystanders' responses to offline bullying and cyberbullying incidents. Two types of responses were captured: support toward the victims and the reinforcement of bullies' actions. Using data from 321 German adolescents (ages 12-18; M = 14.99; 44% girls), the association between bystanders' responses and normative beliefs about verbal aggression and cyberaggression, and affective and cognitive empathy, were tested in a path model. Both types of normative beliefs positively predicted the reinforcement of bullies, and normative belief about verbal aggression also predicted support for the victims of offline bullying. Both types of empathy predicted support in offline bullying, but only affective empathy predicted support in cyberbullying. There was no link between affective or cognitive empathy to the reinforcement of bullies. Moreover, bystanders' tendencies to respond supportively to the victim or to reinforce the bully were rather consistent in both cyber- and offline bullying, but there was no link between support and reinforcement. The findings are discussed with regard to implications for prevention and intervention efforts.

The present analyses empirically explored the roles in cyberbullying by using Latent Class Analysis. Potential predictors of class membership were also examined using multinomial logistic regression analysis. Participants were 849 German students (52.7% girls, 45.6% boys, Mage = 13.4 years, SDage = 1.1 years). Observed indicators of latent class measured own involvement in cyberbullying, reactions to cyberbullying of classmates, and behavioral willingness as assistant and as defender. Indicators for the post-hoc regression analyses were proactive aggression, reactive aggression, self-esteem, cognitive, and affective empathy. Control variables were age and gender. A model with five classes was chosen. The classes were labeled prosocial defenders, communicating outsiders, aggressive defenders, bully-victims, and assistants. The results of the post-hoc regression analyses showed that students in the classes especially differed regarding types of aggression and social competencies. Based on answer patterns, cyberbullying roles beyond the bullying-triad can be found. Remarkably, three of the classes are bystanders, i.e. they are not directly involved in cyberbullying. Two of these classes showed helping behavior and made up almost two thirds of the sample. Knowledge about cyberbullying roles and their predictors is important to inform the planning and development of interventions. The results further indicate that interventions should especially take into account antisocial and passive behavioral patterns in the context of cyberbullying.

Context: The current shortage of teachers in Germany, especially in vocational schools, is of relevance to the education system and labour market policy. To recruit future teachers more effectively, it is of great importance to gain a better understanding of pre-service teachers’ career choice motivation. However, research has concentrated so far mainly on teachers in the general education system. The present study investigates the career choice motivation of students who will become vocational education and training (VET) teachers and compares it to the career choice motivation of future comprehensive school teachers. Approach: We surveyed N = 79 teacher training students in total, 30 pre-service VET teachers and 49 pre-service comprehensive school teachers at the beginning of their university-based teacher training. To measure career choice motivation, we used the standardized questionnaire Motivation for Choosing Teacher Education (FEMOLA) including six subscales (Pohlmann & Möller, 2010). In order to compare pre-service VET and comprehensive school teachers with regard to the six scales of career choice motivation, we performed a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Findings: We found the highest means for the motives subject-specific and educational interest for the future VET teachers. In comparison to the pre-service comprehensive school teachers, they rated their educational interest, social influences, and utility as significantly less relevant in terms of their career choice motivation. There are no significant differences on the other three motivational scales. Conclusion: The findings show that the two groups partially differ in their motivations to become a teacher. Therefore, we can conclude that the measures for attracting new students should also be individually adapted to the motives for their career choice. For example, in a counselling interview, the motives for choosing a profession should be discussed and compared with the requirements for studying and later working life.

The use of digital information and communication technologies is an integral part of adolescents' everyday life. Besides various opportunities for information, entertainment, and communication, media use is associated with risks such as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying refers to aggressive behavior in the context of computer-mediated communication, characterized by repetition, an intention to harm, and power imbalance. Previous studies have shown that increased media use is a major risk factor for cyberbullying and cybervictimization. Given that restricting media use is not a practical way to reduce the negative effects inherent in media use, the present study examines the relevance of ethical media competence. We expected ethical media competence to buffer the effect of increased media use on cyberbullying and cybervictimization. A survey was conducted with 934 students (53% female) aged 10-17 years (M=13.26, SD=1.63). As expected, hierarchical regression analyses showed a positive main effect of media use, a negative main effect of ethical media competence, and a negative interaction effect of media use and media competence on cyberbullying and cybervictimization. Simple slope analyses revealed that at high levels of ethical media competence, media use has almost no effect on cybervictimization and a significant negative effect on cyberbullying. Consequently, promoting ethical media competence constitutes a potential measure to prevent the risks of increased media use for cyberbullying and cybervictimization.

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Adolescent Use of Digital Media and Parental Mediation - A Research Review Digital media are wide spread, frequently used, and highly relevant in the lives of children, adolescents and their parents. Because parents aim to reduce or prevent potential risks of media use for their children, many parents apply different strategies of parental mediation of children's media use: restrictive parental mediation, active parental mediation, co-media use, technical monitoring, and participatory learning. These forms of parental mediation have differential impact on children and adolescents. Different types of media (e. g. television, video games, internet, and mobile phones) have common features but also specific characteristics that lead to partially inconsistent research findings that are not only due to age differences of children and adolescents. Concerning an impact model of parental mediation, the current contribution presents overarching and divergent empirical findings, approaches the effectiveness of parental mediation for cyberbullying, and discusses practical implications as well as research gaps in the analysis of parental mediation.

Significant overlap exists between traditional victimization and peer cyber-victimization. Yet, they can also be somewhat differentiated. Adopting person-centered approaches, studies showed that multiple classes of peer victimization are distinguishable. In particular, this study analyzed the differences in Internet use, Internet motives and behavior and ethical media use of adolescents who are victimized only (or mainly) online (i.e., “cyber-victims”), their peers who are victimized at school (“traditional victims”), students who are frequently victimized both offline and online (“dual victims”), and students who are not victimized. A sample of 1377 Italian adolescents (49.5% females, age M = 16.13, SD = 1.27) completed self-report questionnaires of traditional and peer cyber-victimization and a variety of Internet-related measures. Latent profile analysis yielded four distinct groups: non-victims (79.6% of the sample), traditional victims (9.2%), cyber-victims (9.1%), and dual victims (2.1%). Among the four groups, dual victims, that is, adolescents who are frequently victimized both at school and online, showed the most problematic use of information and communication technologies (ICT). Dual victims and cyber-victims also reported to engage more frequently than the other groups in a variety of Internet activities (e.g., role-playing games and visiting adult sites). Traditional victims reported more coping and conformity motives for using Internet compared to non-victims and, in the latter case, also to cyber-victims. The current findings may help to better understand the link between traditional victimization and peer cyber-victimization with adolescent’s use of information and communication technologies and may inform prevention and educational programs about positive use of new technologies among adolescents.